As a barrister specialising in employment law, who has been on the NEC for some years, you can see why.
She’s obviously going to be attacked as part of the previous Labour Party establishment - married to one MP, sister to another - but I think the Labour Party needs the sort of professionalism such experience is likely to bring.
I am thrilled that the NEC has picked up a great local candidate, Ellie Reeves, whom I have know personally well before this election. I actually wrote to NEC saying that a local connection in our case should be considered imperative as we had a few outstanding local members who applied for the post.
Deadline for nominations for General election is 4th May 4pm, therefore we should know the full candidate list soon after.
I’ll be operating a ‘three strikes and you are out’ rule on opinion-based posting here. Pauline - here’s your second knuckle-rapping.
I don’t want to stifle debate, but rules is rules.
Agree with Rachael.
I have moved a few posts into the opt-in Local Politics category. Let’s focus on the pure facts here and save the debate for our opt-in politics groups.
Sorry Rachael, I tend not to look at the category when I pop in & out, but will make a point of checking now, especially on this subject.
Fair play & you are right on this 
Spoilsports.
I’ve just remembered the local Conservative office is on D Rd, I’ll give a knock when I see someone in there to ask when their candidate will be announced.
Wow. You mean to say that the office is still in use? Have never seen any evidence of activity there so had assumed it was defunct, a bit like the Catford club.
Yippee it still is - though they look like they are asleep every day 
Does it really matter who Stands? It is a safe labour seat and will continue to be so, any candidate will either sit pretty and not do much or will use it as a learning experience for future party promotion.
Will be surprised if Conservatives even field a candidate.
Safe seats are often used to parachute voted-out party grandees or former ministers back in, see Esther McVey in the aforementioned Tatton, so good to see Labour not play the same game and keep the seat open until the last minute in case of a return of Balls or David Miliband or even given today’s raft of interviews The Second Coming, 20 years on from the first 
I tweeted Lewisham Conservatives. They responded.
Good riddance - I’ll be voting with my head and therefore conservative. A wasted vote in such a stitched up seat, but there’s no way I could ever vote for Labour in the current state.
Well at this rate there may not be a Conservative candidate to vote for.
This time I’m going to vote for who I think will be out best constituency MP. The national parties are all a load of old shit.
Wasted, perhaps, but it will be interesting to see what the Conservative candidate can do to erode Labour’s 12,714 majority. The Tory got 24% of the vote here in 2015.
thats why O’Dowd is good riddance But I agree that a good constituency MP is an overlooked strength
24% was in fact a drop in share from 2010 though overall votes remain pretty much the same. The massive swing to Jim Dowd’ of 9.5% was largely due to the collapse of the LibDem vote. LibDems came in 2nd in 2010.
Given the majority opinion on Brexit, and that local hero John Russell is standing I’m going to guess the LibDem’s will do much better this time out.
